Roundup

I'll show you a vendetta, buddy: comics genius Alan Moore and the legacy of the ruptured blood vessel.

Ofili? Serrano? South Park? Danish cartoons? How do you know when you've blasphemed? Rob Corddry explains.

"My father knew that bulls have two testicles, in addition to something very masculine." Maya Widmaier-Picasso, disattributing a questionable work. Who would have suspected that a Picasso on sale at Costco might not be legitimate?

At the "steer back" link above one gets nextfewhours.com writing the following:

"What happens when the people artblog.net regulars love to hate stop commenting? They have to mount their own opposition just to have something to grouse about (see comment number 5). [Dzubas’ work seems pretty lovely to me]"

What is that all about? No one was "grousing" about Dzubas. Quite the opposite.

Franklin, your exchange on the Mark Golden blog site is amusing and instructive. It's interesting what happens when someone comes in with a sharp, critical, trenchant comment or two in the middle of some somnolent academic drone. It's like a bee stinging a fat cow, and, unfortunately, no more effective - a couple irritated flicks of the tail, a bewildered "moo" and then more chewing of cud.

I particularly liked the bureaucratese of one response:

"In short, a desire or percieved need to change and improve the College Art Association and its conference -the panel content, job-placement service and exhibits- is actually a need to change academia itself. As with every societal institution this is a very long, never-ending task that takes often wild innovation, advanced creative thinking, unflinching commitment and a collective vision for improvements that benefit the widest possible population. It would also take reasonable, rational thinking along very practical lines. We will not be able to even attempt this if there is not at first a primary interest in establishing the collective dialogue to support progress."

And your typically terse reply, which can be read on the site.

4.

Jack

March 17, 2006, 9:58 AM

Now, Franklin, let's not upset the applecart, let alone the nice people at MAM and the even nicer (or at least richer) people who keep Muniz and company exceedingly well remunerated for their...trouble.

Needless to say, my respect for MAM grows ever greater. I mean, what could possibly be a better choice than Muniz to give the public? Yes, I know, but Othoniel was already shown at MOCA, and I'm sure MAM wants to be more, uh, original.

I would love to hear MAM's response to the piece you linked, especially passages like these:

Muniz writes: "I have always believed individuality to be more important than originality in art making. … When I worked in advertising, the rule was not to use any new idea that hadn't been tested by an artist before. Everything was borrowed or stolen."

Mustill comments: "So much for originalité artistique. Puts the whole fucking rumble into its proper perspective. He's still working in advertising."

No doubt MAM's pronouncement would be worthy of an anthology. Mind you, I'm only interested in whatever insight I might glean from those in the know, so I can better appreciate the great advertising, I mean, art of our time.

5.

Jack

March 17, 2006, 12:15 PM

Hey, OP, I'm the one fingered by that "steer back" link. Does that mean I'm some kind of celebrity now?

6.

oldpro

March 17, 2006, 12:21 PM

Well, Jack, you deserve it, intransigent complainer that you are. I guess your notoriety extends as far as nextfewhours, at least, for what it's worth. I have already been blessed with their disapproval. I don't know about fame, but it is a distinction of sorts.

7.

Marc Country

March 17, 2006, 1:57 PM

Special Edit for artblog.net visitors: what it means is that the people you expected not to like Dzubas may actually like Dzubas, so what’s with the imaginary expected opposition?

Take that, Artblog regulars! You've been caught out by thenextfewhours' telepath-blogger extraordinaire...

8.

Jack

March 17, 2006, 2:44 PM

From the rather uneven interchange on the Golden blog linked above:

I actually oppose dialogue when it serves as a platform for bad faith and substitutes for action.

The Repentant Cameron Diaz is a masterpiece waiting to happen. It's beyond me that it hasn't been done numerous times by now. I mean, given the current climate, it's a perfect subject. John Currin, for one, should have been all over it ages ago. Guess he needs sharper people in his entourage.

14.

Marc Country

March 17, 2006, 5:14 PM

... and, let me guess, your Da is from Dublin?

15.

Rojert Crazybear

March 17, 2006, 5:17 PM

Me Da has splendid Huevos framing an impressive Bono, but enough of this gay banter...

16.

Marc Country

March 17, 2006, 5:19 PM

Jack, there were a few ideas on the list that I'm sure would find market success if executed properly. I think the advice for the untitled works was the best though:

"This can pretty much be anything. Just remember to make it good..."

17.

Marc Country

March 17, 2006, 5:22 PM

... not that there's anything wrond with being pro-bono...

18.

Marc Country

March 17, 2006, 5:23 PM

No... nothing "wrond" at all...

19.

ahab

March 17, 2006, 5:27 PM

Havin' a little afternoon toddy, are we Marc?

20.

Marc Country

March 17, 2006, 5:38 PM

It's the afternoon! When did that happen?

21.

Rojert Crazybear

March 17, 2006, 5:47 PM

MC's hammered, but if that's wrond, he don't wanna be right.

22.

H. B. Patrotage

March 17, 2006, 6:10 PM

Even more likely, Country's been partaking of the traditional St. Pat's "Smokin' of the Green"...

23.

oldpro

March 17, 2006, 6:35 PM

Sure and it is time to tell ya:

I drink to your health when I'm with you,

I drink to your health when I'm alone,

I drink to your health so often,

I worry about my own

24.

Jack

March 17, 2006, 9:21 PM

Delayed response to #7:

Thanks Marc. However, I can say in all honesty that my Dzubas comment, while it seems to have perturbed thenextfewhours management, was made without giving any thought whatsoever to said blog, its management, or anyone in particular who may hang out there. I was actually referring to the art market as a whole, since we were talking about auction prices and such.

25.

Jack

March 18, 2006, 1:13 PM

So Franklin, don't keep us in...Yawn...suspense. How was the Muniz show? Any new chocolate syrup portraits? Or maybe he's branched out to butterscotch? Or maybe caramel? Do tell.

26.

Marc Country

March 18, 2006, 2:05 PM

Re: #24

Darn... just when I think I've found proof of ESP, it turns out to be nothing but ordinary, run-of-the-mill egotism.

How disappointing. How unsurprising.

27.

Franklin

March 19, 2006, 12:05 AM

The Muniz review is a paying gig. Full report at the end of this week. In short: Meh.

28.

oldpro

March 19, 2006, 1:22 AM

MEH is a Yiddish interjection used to express disdain that borders on apathy, probably well chosen in this context.

29.

Jack

March 19, 2006, 9:42 AM

OK, Franklin, I guess I can wait to find out how meh it was, though I can well imagine. Still, I'm sure the Ghirardelli people are more sympathetic.

30.

Jack

March 19, 2006, 9:52 AM

Actually, I like Meh. It could be very useful. Short and simple, yet expressive. A very efficient way to sum up an all-too-frequent reaction to shows which really don't deserve any more elaboration. Maybe I should change my handle to Meh. On second thought, it's too mellow. You know, not nasty enough.

31.

Jack

March 19, 2006, 9:58 AM

OK, three in a row (unless Ahab pulls a fast one). Now I see, Franklin. I couldn't figure out why you'd go out of your way for Muniz, but if it's a paying gig, then I understand. I'm relieved.

32.

redneck railroad

March 19, 2006, 12:30 PM

why don't y'all just email each other, or join for coffee at starbucks since , as usual, you're only really talking to/for each other.

33.

ahab

March 19, 2006, 12:41 PM

That would be fair criticism, redneck railroad, if it came from someone who was trying to actually say something.

Jack, it was obvious that you were not referring directly to me or my blog because you did not utilize your usual codewords (schoolmarm, proper).

Comment number 5 on the Dzubas thread remains an invocation of imaginary--and hugely generalized--opposition.

Good thing you "steer back easily enough".

35.

oldpro

March 19, 2006, 1:36 PM

As i understand it, Redneck, this blog gets over a thousand hits a day, so some one is listening. Including you, I guess.

Why not join in instead of taking driveby shots?

36.

Marc Country

March 19, 2006, 3:12 PM

Comment number 5 on the Dzubas thread remains an invocation of imaginary--and hugely generalized--opposition.

But, of course... it's a generalized speculation by Jack as to why, as oldpro states in the immediately preceeding comment, "Not all color-field artists fetch big sums at auction..."

However, it has absolutely nothing to do with "What happens when the people artblog.net regulars love to hate stop commenting". That's nonsense. That's egotism.

In fact, it appears that perhaps these "people" Kathleen writes of haven't stopped commenting at all... but I suppose she might have to be more specific as to precisely what "people" she mean, if we're to be sure.

37.

Marc Country

March 19, 2006, 3:20 PM

Re: Redneck R.R.:...you're only really talking to/for each other.

As "Bender" (Judd Nelson) eloquently puts it, in the film, "The Breakfast Club":

"Do you think I'd speak for you? I don't even know your language."

38.

Jack

March 19, 2006, 5:26 PM

Note to Marc C:

When I become Art Czar of the Western World, which should be any day now, I will appoint you my Royal Media Liaison. It'll look good on your CV. Sort of like I'll be Louis XIV, and you can be Charles Le Brun. I'd make you Cardinal Richelieu, but I promised that spot to Oldpro. Of course, there's always the Cardinal Mazarin position, but that might skew things too far toward Rome, and it's not good to have rival cardinals running around...

39.

Rojert Crazybear

March 19, 2006, 5:35 PM

...professional Irish startlers can be very media savvy.

40.

Jack

March 19, 2006, 5:53 PM

Mon cher Rojert, much obliged, of course, but that sounds like a Kennedy-Boston sort of thing. It's a bit too nouveau, you see. Besides, I'm hardly contemplating a constitutional monarchy, let alone some vulgar democratic administration. No, no; autocratic rule is the thing. Much more efficient, not to mention elegant. The precedents, after all, go back to time immemorial. Regrettably, Ireland never developed properly along those lines, but I suppose even the luck of the Irish has limits.

41.

oldpro

March 19, 2006, 6:25 PM

No, Ireland never developed that way. However, they currelty have a multi-billion dollar national surplus and no idea how to spend it.

Hmmm. It is a pretty place, after all...

42.

H. B. Patrotage

March 19, 2006, 6:29 PM

But you can't beat the Alberta Advantage - autocratic rule and a multi-billion dollar surplus!

43.

oldpro

March 19, 2006, 6:35 PM

Yes, Parotage, but don't they want to take it all away from you?

44.

jordan

March 20, 2006, 1:19 AM

John Sanchez made some fresh and simple paintings and he has done well with his showing of them at Dorsch Gallery, causing many to flop out the ass leather and grab the plastic. Awesome John (and Brook).

45.

Marc Country

March 20, 2006, 11:17 PM

Thanks for the job offer, Czar-elect Jack.
I was just reading a little on le Brun from Wikipedia:The nature of his emphatic and pompous talent was in harmony with the taste of the king...
Emphatic, pompous... I gotta admit, it sounds perfect for me.
Maybe catfish'll be your Mazarin.

46.

catfish

March 21, 2006, 10:31 AM

" ... power-hungry, paranoid, and greedy", that's me. Where do I sign up? Or is this an appointment?